Figure wheeled toy



Oct. 5, 1926." 1502,295

O. D. WILLIS FIGURE WHEELED TOY Filed July 15, 1525' lNVE NTOR O D WZZZIS, N

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented Oct. 5, 1926.

OSCAR DELLMOETT. WILLIS, OLE HUNTI NGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

arenas vvHnn En Toy.

Application n e July 15, 1925. sem N0.-43 ,824.'

:My invention relates to improvements in toys of the type having a cylindrical body adapted .tohave rollingcontact with a supporting surface, together with means for imparting motion to the cylindr cal body, and ,it consists in the COIl'lblIlEtlZlOIlS, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed. 7 i

' An object of the invention is the provision of a toy of the character described having a source of motive power supported Within ,a hoop together with motion transmitting mechanism' disposed between the hoop and the source of motive power, adapted, to be actuated to cause rolling movement of the hoop on a supporting surface and at the same time to actuate 'a miniature mechanical figure which also is supported in thehoop in association with the source of motive power and motion transmitting mechanism so that the movable parts I'o'fi the miniature mechanical figure will be moved in a manner closely resembling the movements actual object which resembles. I v

A further object of the invention is the provision in a toy of the character described of a novel means for transmitting motion from a rotary ,driving element to a lindrical encircling body jso" that the latter will be caused to roll on its supporting surface. v

A still further object of :theinvention is the provision in a toy of vthe character described of a cylindrical body in which the driving means of the toy is disposed and means adapted to V cylindrical. body when desired to cause -the body to roll in a circle ,ona supporting surface. i

Other objects and advantages of the inthe mini ature figure vention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with l the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy embodying the invention, showing one formof a mechanical figure which may be supported therein and one form oi drivingmechanism for causlng the supporting hoop of like parts" of the I means of fastening devices 6' so 't be associated with I the 'ter. A. Sp1'i1ig motor sprocket oi: the device to roll on a supporting sure face, an edge portion of the hoop being broken away and the hoop being-partially shown in vertical section, and

' Figure 2 is a vertical section-through the hoop of the form of the toy exhibited in Figure 1, showing the driving mechanism and certain of the elemen'tsfof the miniature mechanical figure that is associated therewith in'elevation. V

The form of the toy exhibited in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a rim or hoop 1 ofvcylindrical' form having inwardly extending flanges 2 at the edges thereoffThe rim 1 also is formed to havea pair of spaced outwardly extending ridges '3 extending .ci-r- C-LEHifGI'BDlJlRll-y located adjacent to "and "equidistant-from the opposite edges of the rim; The rim also is formed intermediateits edges with a circumferentially extending series of spaced.

radial openings or perforations 41 for a' purpose to be presentlydescribed. i

' A pair of supporting bars '5 extend diametrically of the rim 1 and respectively are attached at their opposite endsi'to Idiametii cally opposite portions of the flan es Q'by at the extend in'zp arallel An axle 7 issupsupporting bars "5 will relation to eaclrother.

ported adjacent to its'iopposite'vends in alined openings inthe supporting bars 5 and extends centrally of the rimili' A yoke 8 has alined openings in the end portions of the arms thereof through which the axle 7 extends, whereby the yoke will be supported on the axle toihang pendent from the lat-' 9 is supported between the arms of the yoke' 8 relatively adjacent to the axle 7 and 'is connectedby a train of gearing generally indicated at-10 supported 'by the arms o-fthe-yokeS between the latter. "flhejackwshaft ll vcarries a wheel 12 which is connected by means of an endless flexible motion :trans mitting member '13 with a sprocket wheel 14 which is secured on a driven, shait'15. The latter is rotatably supported in alined openings in forks 16 which are carried at the with ajjaclr shait'11 which is rotatably of the rim and: respectively lower end of a supporting bar 17 that is rigidly secured at its upper end, as at 18, to the web portion of the yoke 8. The sprockets 12 and 14 may be wheels having grooves in=their peripheries formed with spaced depressions, as at 19 for engaging with knots 20 which are provided at intervals on the endless motion transmitting member 13, which may be a cord. However, the sprockets 12 and is may be of the usual toothed type and the motion transmitting member 13 may be a chain, since the knotted cord and wheel sprocket construction just referred to may be provided only for the sake of economy.

The shaft 15 carries a driven wheel 21 which has teeth 22 on its periphery adapted to enter the perforations 4. in the rim of the wheel. The ends of the shaft 15 extend beyond the forks 16 and are bent to provide a pair of oppositely extending cranks 23. The ends of these cranks 23 work in vertical slots 241- in the lower sections 25 of legs which also comprise upper sections 26 which are pivotally attached to their lower ends at 27 to the upper ends of the lower sections 25. The upper sections 26 of the legs are formed with alined openings pivotally supported on the extending end portions 28 of the jack shaft 11 and these upper sec tions of the legs have extensions 29 which are pivotally attached adjacent to their upper ends by pivot elements 30 to the lower end portions of relatively short arms 31 of a pair of U-shaped members 32. The pivot elements at 30 work in slots as at 30 in the lower end. portions of the arms 31. The U-shaped members 32 respectively are disposed at opposite sides of the arms of the yoke 8 and the arms of the U-shaped members 32 are formed with alined openings located adjacent to the web portions of such U-shaped members. The axle 7 extends through these alined openings in the arms of the U-shaped members 32 and supports the U-shaped members swingingly on the axle so that the longer arms of the U-shaped members 32, indicated at 33, will hang pendent and are free at their lower ends.

A miniature toy figure may be e mpleted by placing a garment such as indicated by the dash lines at as in Figure 1 over the spring motor and the parts which are associated therewith, this garment of course having sleeve portions as at 35 for the reception of the arms 33 of the U-shaped members 3.2. A head 36 may besupported above the axle 5 in any suitable known manner, as by being attached to the garment 34 so that the figure which comprises the head 36, the garment 3& 35, the arms '33, and the legs 2625 will have considerable resemblance to any desirable character, such as Santa Claus. The lower sections 25 of the legs are formed at their lower extremities to provide foot portions 37 which are in contact with the inner periphery of the rim 1 at opposite sides of the circumferentially extending perforations 1.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The spring motor 9 may be energized in any suitable manner, and the operation thereof will cause motion to be transmitted through the train of gearing 10 to the jack shaft 11 and thence through the sprocket and chain connection with the shaft 15 to the latter. Rotation of the shaft 15 will cause a like movement of the driven wheel 21 and the projections on the periphery of the wheel 21 will successively engage the perforations'in the rim 1. The rim 1 will be caused to roll on a supporting surface as soon as the movement of the wheel 21 on the inner periphery of the rim 1 causes the center of gravity of the structure within the rim to be moved laterally of a plane which extends vertically through the center of the wheel. This rolling of the rim 1 on the supporting surface will continue so long as the spring motor is in operation. The rotation of the shaft 15 will cause motion to be transmitted to the legs 25-26 and thence through the extensions 29 to the U-shaped members 32 so that the arms 33 will swing and the legs 2526 will move in a manner closely resembling the movements of the arms and legs of a human being while walking, and the mechanical figure which has been described in the foregoing and is supported within'the rim 1, will appear to walk as the latter rolls on a supporting surface. If it is desired to cause the rim 1 to roll in a circle on a supporting surface, an auxiliary rim member 38 having an outwardly. extending flange 39 at its outer edge is placed on one edge portion of the rim 1, and that edge portion ofthe rim then will be supported by the flange 39 on the supporting surface, and the device will roll in a circle on the supporting surface.

Obviously,the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

A toy of the character described, comprising a rim, an axle supported centrally of said rim, a yoke having arms swingingly supported on said axle, a spring motor carried between the arms of said yoke, a wheel in engagement at its .periphery with the inner periphery of said rim, means attached to said yoke and supporting said wheel, said wheel supporting means including a shaft having oppositely extending crank portions at its ends, motion transmitting means connecting said spring motor and said crank shaft, and a mechanical figure including a pair of legs each comprising I upper and lower pivotally connected sections and a pair of arms connected at their lower ends with the upper ends of the upper sections oi said legs, and swinglngly supported on said axle, the lower sections of said legs being pivotally and loosely engaged with the cranks on said crank shafts, whereby said arms and said legs will be swung in amanner resembling the movements of the arms and legs of a person while walking.

OSCAR DELLMONT WILLIS. 

